For people see a tunnel plain, The railway mania so pervades That some, before they 'd lose their rail, And yet men are so very fast— And mark you, when the contract's made, They do not send the Engine in, But they do send in the Tender! The schoolmaster was once abroad, Degrade you once from class the first, Now share-holders are all the go, 'Tis quite a treat-to see how sweet Oh! how in speculation, now, In Germany whole herds of deer In England ther's a fine to-do As for excise, which used to be They never starve you! No! not they! Indeed! But Prudence here stops in,- And cries" This mania so prevails, * ONE, OR THE OTHER.-REIMER. IN Henry's reign-the darling king, Towards Paris; and, when near that place, Was at a distance, out of view; For so the king had planned the matter, That he might reach his purpose better. ές Which way, good man?" the monarch said "Does business you to Paris lead ?" * Henry, the Fourth. "It does; but yet another thing- Keeps on his hat, while others bare That all should have,—so says our king!" But when he saw the windows fly Straining at the passers-by, While all the air is made to ring With "Vive le roi !"—Long live the king! "Friend," said he to his unknown guide, While with wonder and fright the monarch he eyed, "Sure, you must be the king, or I! For nobody else, in all this crowd, Has a hat on his head, whether humble or proud." The good king smiled. "You 're right," said he; "I'm the person you wished to see!" TRUST NOT TOO MUCH TO APPEARANCES.-ANON. MAIS! I am Monsieur Jean Francois Mareè Louis Grenoble. In Angletere here, I vas vat you call de emigrant; because in the revolution, ma foi! ven my countree, dat I love so much, vant to cut off my head, I take to my feet, and ran avay very fast; so dat de guillotine can no cut short my valk over de sea-not at all. Here I make de montre, vat you call de vatch. I am de horloger, de clock maker, and get de living by de tick. Mais dans Paris! In my own countree I vas very large man indeed, vas nobleman, vas son altesse de Prince Grenoble, and stood very high indeed (though I am but a little man now) in de grand armee royal. De oder day, I vas valk in vat you call your High Park, vere dere are no bucks vid de horns, but de bucks dat come from de Londres de city, and leave dere vives to valk here. Vell, I vas valk derc, and see sit on de bench un pauvre homme. I go to him, and I say to him-for I see, in de twinkle of de eye, he vas von Frenchman-vas my countreman—“ Mon ami, my friend, my countreman, for vat you sit on dis bench here? Vy you no go to de cook-shop, de restaurateur, vere dey eat de beef, and de mouton, and de sallad, and de pomme de terre ?" He say to me, "I am brave François; I am jontilehomme; I am one of de first men in all France; but I am sans sous, f ༈ ,, point d'argent-I have not one single farthing dans tout le monde." Den he show me his pockets filled vid very large holes, but noting else; but he appear very jonteel man for all dat; and all at once, immediately, directly, instamment, in de half second, I recollect to had seen him in Paris, dress in all de silver and de gold lace. I look at him again. Ma foi! he have no lace but de rags, and no silver but de grey hair dat grow out of de great hole in de crown of his hat, like you see de pigeon's claw out of de top of de pie; but he vas a very jonteel man for all dat! He make de graceful bow to me; mon Dieu; his knee come out of de pantaloon, and I see his great toe look at me out of de end of his pump-but he vas a very jonteel man for all dat! I say to him, my countryman, mon ami, no l'argent, no credit, no dinner, vat for you leave your logement den? vy you no take refreshment, de sleep in your bed! He say to me, "Ah mon ami! I have no logement in bed; I lodge in de open air, vere I pay no rent, and I sleep here; de bench is my mattrass, and de tree dat hang over my head de curtain; but I am a very jonteel man for all dat!" No logement, no bed! pauvre homme, my heart is all melt wid de great big pity for you, my friend, my countreman, I shall take you home to my maison, and give you de dinner and de sleep for de night; for though you have no money I see you are a very jonteel man for all dat. My landlady she is particular, she no like de stranger sleep in her domicile, so ve vill vate and get de bon appetite till it is dark-den you sall pull off you shoe, and ve vill steal up de stair, and nobody sall know ve are dere. open Vell, ve valk under de tree, and talk, till at last it grow to de dark night-den ve steal home to my logement, and I de door vid de leetle key vat I had in my pocket; den I rub my shoe on de mat, and I leave de dirt-mon ami, my countreman, he rub his shoe on de mat, and he leave de sole dere-but he vas very jonteel for all dat! |